Fatality Reports
MSHA investigates each mining fatality and prepares the following documents to alert the mining community and prevent similar occurrences.
- Fatality Alert - describes the accident and lists best practices that may have prevented it
- Preliminary Report - initial report with brief description
- Final Report - investigative findings, including root causes and enforcement actions
Related Fatality Information
Some deaths on mining property are determined to be unrelated to mining activity and are not included in MSHA’s fatality statistics - See recent “non-chargeable” fatalities:
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: MC#1 Mine - Illinois
Mine Controller: Coalfield Transport Inc
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Slip or Fall of Person
Location: Johnson Mine - Alabama
Mine Controller: Randall E Crawford
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: Onton #9 - Kentucky
Mine Controller: Alliance Resource Partners LP
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Falling, Rolling, or Sliding Rock or Material of Any Kind
Location: Mine No. 1 - Illinois
Mine Controller: Alliance Resource Partners LP
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
On August 19, 2015, a miner was injured at Alliance Resource Partners LP - Mine No. 1 when the boom of a belt drive he was installing fell and hit him on the shoulder. On October 1, 2015 the miner died. On February 17, 2016, MSHA was notified that the miner died as a result of the August 19, 2015, injuries. On April 11, 2016, MSHA referred the accident to the chargeability Review Committee. On October 13, 2016, the Chargeability Review Committee determined that the death should be charged to the mining industry. The death certificate listed clinical debilitation due to left shoulder injury as a contributing factor.
Accident Classification: Falling, Rolling, or Sliding Rock or Material of Any Kind
Location: Leesburg Plant - Virginia
Mine Controller: Charles S Luck IV; Charles S Luck III
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Crushed, Broken Granite
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: SSX Mine - Nevada
Mine Controller: Keith Jones
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Gold Ore
Accident Classification: Falling, Rolling, or Sliding Rock or Material of Any Kind
Location: Pinky's Aggregates Inc - North Dakota
Mine Controller: Dale Honsey
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Construction Sand and Gravel
Accident Classification: Other
Location: MAIN PROCESSING PLANT - Georgia
Mine Controller: J Eric Tillirson
Mine Type: Facility
Mined Material: Kaolin and Ball Clay
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: Dry Fork Sand & Gravel - Ohio
Mine Controller: Heidelberg Cement AG
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Construction Sand and Gravel
Accident Classification: Falling, Rolling, or Sliding Rock or Material of Any Kind
Location: CEC #4 - Massachusetts
Mine Controller: Louise Landers
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Construction Sand and Gravel
Accident Classification: Falling, Rolling, or Sliding Rock or Material of Any Kind
Location: 4 West Mine - Pennsylvania
Mine Controller: Mepco Intermediate Holdings, LLC
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Striking or Bumping
Location: Fillmore Pit & Plant - New Hampshire
Mine Controller: Gregory S Fillmore
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Construction Sand and Gravel
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: Gateway Mine - Illinois
Mine Controller: Peabody Energy
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: No. 11 Allen Branch Job - Kentucky
Mine Controller: Cambrian Coal Corp
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: Hycroft Mine - Nevada
Mine Controller: Allied Nevada Gold Corp
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Gold Ore
Accident Classification: Slip or Fall of Person
Location: Lone Star Quarry & Mill - Missouri
Mine Controller: Buzzi Unicem S P A
Mine Type: Facility
Mined Material: Cement
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: Kane's Quarry - Pennsylvania
Mine Controller: Daniel E Acker
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Dimension Stone NEC
Amendments
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: Ulrich Pit - Nebraska
Mine Controller: Scott Ulrich; Wes Ulrich
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Construction Sand and Gravel
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: Republic Energy - West Virginia
Mine Controller: Alpha Natural Resources, Inc.
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Fall of Face, Rib, Side or Highwall
Location: Deep Mine 41 - Virginia
Mine Controller: Alpha Natural Resources, Inc.
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Fall of Face, Rib, Side or Highwall
Location: McElroy Mine - West Virginia
Mine Controller: Ohio Valley Resources, Inc.
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Fall of Roof or Back
Location: Heilwood - Pennsylvania
Mine Controller: J Clifford Forrest III
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: Brubaker Mine - Pennsylvania
Mine Controller: JAZ Ventures LP
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: Swift Creek Mine - Florida
Mine Controller: Potash Corp Of Saskatchewan
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Phosphate Rock
Accident Classification: Fall of Roof or Back
Location: Fletcher Mine and Mill - Missouri
Mine Controller: Renco Group
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Lead-Zinc Ore
Accident Classification: Hoisting
Location: Leeville - Nevada
Mine Controller: Newmont Mining Corp
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Gold Ore
Accident Classification: Falling, Rolling, or Sliding Rock or Material of Any Kind
Location: Knife River Construction Vernalis Plant - California
Mine Controller: MDU Resources Group Inc
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Construction Sand and Gravel
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: Tilden Plant - Texas
Mine Controller: O Paul Leonard Jr
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Common Clays NEC
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: Highland 9 Mine - Kentucky
Mine Controller: Patriot Coal Corporation
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: Millersville Quarry - Ohio
Mine Controller: Tim E Bell
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Crushed, Broken Limestone NEC